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NMCB 28 Reservists Attend Military Year Training in Gulfport

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050412-09
Release Date: 4/12/2005 8:01:00 PM

By Journalist 3rd Class Lori Roberts, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28 Public Affairs

GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 28 gathered at Construction Battalion Center (CBC) Gulfport to participate in two weeks of Military Year Annual Training (M-year) in March.

During the day, Seabees attended classroom training and participated in field exercises for weapons training, combat lifesaving, team and personal chemical, biological, and radiological defense training, cargo weighing and marking, squad leader training and many other classes.

"The success of NMCB 28's Military Year Annual Training, the first ever at CBC Gulfport, was the result of detailed planning and preparation by the entire chain of command," said Cmdr. James Schroeder, commanding officer of the battalion. "Once on deck, our petty officers expertly led the battalion through a complex series of formal classes and weapons qualifications, after hours training, physical readiness training, and increased medical readiness. The men and women of NMCB 28 gained over 700 military skills, qualified two Seabee Combat Warfare Specialists, and enhanced their leadership and operational capabilities."

Basic Combat Warfare Skills and Seabee Combat Warfare classes were taught, with more than 300 Seabees taking part. By the conclusion of the annual training, two Seabees, Builder 1st Class Perry Morales and Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Jose Carias, had earned their Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist (SWCS) designation, and another Seabee, Equipment Operator 2nd Class Thomasa Wickert, had passed the written and oral exams towards the designation.

Construction Electrician Constructionman (CECN) Karl Werner, from Det. 15, participated in the Combat Lifesaving class, where he practiced inserting IVs into the arms of his classmates, became CPR certified, and learned the essential skills needed to keep an injured person alive out in the field until medical staff arrive.

"It was a very thorough, very good school, and I feel quite confident that I could help save a few lives and get people back safely if the need arose," said Werner.

Construction Mechanic Joel Farnsworth of Det. 03 in Broken Arrow, Okla., completed a course on the MK-19.

"The instructors made it really easy to learn, giving us lots of time to get comfortable with the weapons," said Farnsworth, who had never shot a machine gun prior to this training. "We each got to shoot off a lot of ammo, too, which increased our comfort with the weapon even more."

Ultimately, the two weeks brought successful and effective training, increased battalion readiness, and helped members become qualified on weapons, vehicle licenses and as medical first responders. It also allowed personnel to meet Seabee Combat Warfare qualifications requirements, and bring medical and administrative readiness to an all-time high.

Taken together, each of these individual successes has increased the morale of troops, according to battalion leadership, which may have the most lasting impact on mobilization readiness.